Imitation ice ornament



July 4, 1967 5H0. MAI 'SUSHITA 3,323,974

IMITATION ICE ORNAMENT Filed Aug. 19, 1965 llll INVENTOR 42 Mann/L BY @gg United States Patent 3,328,974 IMITATION ICE ORNAMENT Shoji Matsushita, Miyakonojyo-shi, Miyazaki-ken, Japan,

assiguor of fifty percent to Minoru Shibata, Miyazakishi, Miyazaki-ken, Japan Filed Aug. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 480,905 Claims priority, application Japan, Aug. 24, 1964,

9/67,528 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-246) The present invention relates to an imitation ice ornament.

In order that guests enjoy a cool atmosphere, particularly in such a place where people may be gathered, such as a hotel lobby, department store, etc., an ice pole or an ice sculpture has been frequently displayed on the floor.

However, it is difiicult to maintain their original shape for a long time as the ice is easily melted in atmospheric air. Namely, in accordance with the conventional ice ornaments displayed in a hotel lobby or a department store heretofore experienced, the coolness will be considerably reduced as the ice is melted. Actually, in the case of an ice pole, the coolness will be considerably lost, when the ice is melted approximately 40% of its cubic volume. Also, in the case of the ice sculpture, the original shape is destroyed, if 20% of the total cubic volume is melted. Particularly, with an ice sculpture having delicate curves constructed with a relatively thin area, such delicate por tions are easily destroyed in a short time.

Accordingly, such an ice sculpture is effectively only a temporary display.

Thus, it is one object of the present invention to provide various types of imitation ice with any desired color and with artificial flowers, which may be applied thereto which are made of a synthetic resin or metals.

The present imitation ice disclosed in accordance with the present invention described above is constructed so that the imitation ice is refrigerated from the inside through a refrigerating device, so that the water content may condense on the outer surface of said imitation ice body.

It is another object of the present invention to avoid difiiculties and to overcome the defects experienced in the known structures, in which the present imitation ice is not affected or restricted by the time or place it is to be displayed, as it is not melted at all.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing and in particular to FIG. 1, an imitation ice body 3 being transparent synthetic resin or plastic or having any desired color is disposed on the base 2 in which an electric compressor 1 is provided.

In the imitation ice body 3, a refrigerating portion 5 to be refrigerated through a compressor 1, a condenser 4 and an expansion valve 6 are provided. Further, brine material fills the hollow part of the imitation ice body 3.

By supplying power, the compressor 1 is operated in order to compress the refrigerant into the liquefying gas at the condensor 4, so that said liquefying gas absorbs the heat upon dispersing from the expansion valve 6 provided in the refrigerating portion 5. Accordingly, the outer surface of the body 3 rapidly cools the water content of surrounding atmosphere so far as it goes to the dew point, whereas a condensation of water drops are formed on the surface of the body 3.

FIGURE 2 is another embodiment in which a brine 3,328,974 Patented July 4, 1967 tank is provided for circulating the brine in the imitation ice body.

Within the base 2, a compressor 1 and a brine tank 7 which comprises a refrigerating portion 5 connected with an expansion valve 6, a condensor 4, a compressor 1, and a brine pump 8, which aids to circulate the brine material within the imitation ice body 3, are provided.

Now, if the power is supplied to the compressor 1, and the brine pump 8, the brine material filled in the brine tank 7 is refrigerated by the refrigerating portion 5 and said brine circulates within the imitation ice body 3 by the pump 8, and the water content of the surrounding atmosphere is condensed on the outer surface of the imitation ice body 3.

Further, if any decorative flower, for instance, an artificial flower 9 is arranged on the base 2, the imitation ice body 3 is decorated.

By providing a surrounding flange 2' around the base 2, condensed water drops from the surface of the body 3 and can be received therein.

Also, ventilators 10 are provided in the lower part of the base 2 for cooling the heat from the condensor 4.

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, it is to understood that these embodiments are given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

What I claim is:

1. An imitation ice ornament comprising a base member,

a substantially transparent hollow ice body made of synthetic resin disposed in fluid tight relationship on said base member forming a closed hollow interior, said hollow interior having an inner surface, and said ice body having an outer surface exposed to the atmosphere,

a liquid heat transmitting medium having a freezing point lower than the freezing point of water and filling the closed hollow interior bounding said inner surface,

a refrigerating means, at least partially disposed in said base member, for cooling said heat transmitting medium in indirect heat exchange, and

said heat transmitting medium cooling said ice body causing atmospheric vapor to condense on said outer surface.

2. The imitation ice ornament, as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said refrigerating means includes a refrigeration coil disposed within said hollow interior of said ice body and spaced from said inner surface in said heat transmitting medium, for cooling said heat transmitting medium.

3. An imitation ice ornament comprising a base member,

a hollow ice body disposed in fluid tight relationship on said base member forming a closed hollow interior, said hollow interior having an inner surface, and said ice body having an outer surface exposed to the atmosphere,

a liquid heat transmitting medium having a freezing point lower than the freezing point of water and filling the closed hollow interior bounding said inner surface,

a refrigerating means, at least partially disposed in said 'base member, for cooling said heat transmitting medium in indirect heat exchange,

said heat transmitting medium cooling said ice body causing atmospheric vapor to condense on said outer surface,

said base member has an upper portion adjacent said ice body,

said upper portion including a cooling chamber,

said heat transmitting medium comprises a brine, said brine filling said cooling chamber,

said refrigeration means includes a refrigeration coil disposed within said cooling chamber for cooling said brine within said cooling chamber,

aperture means disposed between said cooling chamber and said hollow interior of said ice body for communicating said hollow interior with said cooling chamber,

pump means for continuously circulating said brine from said cooling chamber into and from said hollow interior via said aperture means, and

said brine cooling said ice body causing atmospheric vapor to condense on said outer surface.

said base member includes a side flange member facing towards the ice body and forming a recess, and

said recess for receiving condensed water vapor from the outer surface of said ice body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4. The imitation ice ornament, as set forth in claim 3, 15 WILLIAM J WYE Primary Examiner wherein 

1. AN IMITATION ICE ORNAMENT COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER, A SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSPARENT HOLLOW ICE BODY MADE OF SYNTHETIC RESIN DISPOSED IN FLUID TIGHT RELATIONSHIP ON SAID BASE MEMBER FORMING A CLOSED HOLLOW INTERIOR, SAID HOLLOW INTERIOR HAVING AN INNER SURFACE, AND SAID ICE BODY HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE EXPOSED TO THE ATMOSPHERE, A LIQUID HEAT TRANSMITTING MEDIUM HAVING A FREEZING POINT LOWER THAN THE FREEZING POINT OF WATER AND FILLING THE CLOSED HOLLOW INTERIOR BOUNDING SAID INNER SURFACE, A REFRIGERATING MEANS, AT LEAST PARTIALLY DISPOSED IN SAID BASE MEMBER, FOR COOLING SAID HEAT TRANSMITTING MEDIUM IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE, AND SAID HEAT TRANSMITTING MEDIUM COOLING SAID ICE BODY CAUSING ATMOSPHERIC VAPOR TO CONDENSE ON SAID OUTER SURFACE. 